Discover Schmalkalden: Half-timbered houses, the Reformation and nougat
Accommodation in Schmalkalden
Schmalkalden offers a range of attractions for a culture-focused stay: half-timbered houses, Reformation history, castle interiors, early industrial history and the Viba Nougat World. When choosing your accommodation, consider which of these themes you would like to shape your stay. The following attractions differ considerably in what you can see and experience there.
The Reformation and the history of the castle
St. George’s Church brings together architectural history and an important event from 1537. Construction began in 1413/14, incorporating parts of an earlier Romanesque church. At the most important meeting of the Schmalkaldic League, the best-known theologians of the time preached there; Martin Luther presented his Schmalkaldic Articles in the church. If you are interested in the history of the Reformation, this connection offers a concrete historical link to the town.
Wilhelmsburg Castle rises above the old town. The castle houses a permanent exhibition on the time of Martin Luther and the Schmalkaldic League. The museum also features lavishly decorated reception halls, the richly ornamented castle church and original room layouts with wall paintings and stucco work. Other highlights include the kitchen used by the castle’s lord and the terrace garden. A historic wooden-pipe organ there is still playable. So a visit to the castle includes not only the exhibition but also a range of historic rooms and decorative details.
Half-timbered houses and early industrial history
The Luther House, built around 1520, is a half-timbered house. For a closer look at this building style, visit the Half-Timbered House Experience, described as the oldest half-timbered house in Schmalkalden and also one of the five oldest in Thuringia. There you can explore vaulted cellars, living quarters, staircases and the crawlspace. The façades, masonry and wall structures, as well as the front building and courtyard, are among the features that reveal the connection between historic and new architecture.
A different way to explore history is to visit the Neue HĂĽtte. It is one of the last sites where an early industrial blast furnace can still be understood in its entirety, thanks to its excellent state of preservation. Visitors can walk all the way around the original furnace and climb to a height of over 11 metres. This visit is especially suited to anyone interested in a preserved industrial site and its architectural scale.
Guided tour, walking route and nougat world
Public guided tours of the historic old town are offered from April to October. For a self-guided walk, follow the route “Around Wilhelmsburg”: it starts at the Altmarkt, passes the Luther House and climbs up to Wilhelmsburg Castle. These landmarks provide clear guidance if you want to link the old town, half-timbered houses and castle in one walking route.
A visit to the Viba Nougat World offers a different experience. At the glass-walled manufactory, you can watch soft, melt-in-the-mouth nougat being made. Visitors can also make their own pralines, chocolate or a classic nougat bar in a range of workshops. Schmalkalden bus and train station is just a few minutes’ walk from the Viba Nougat World. This specific connection may be helpful when planning your journey to this attraction; it does not make any statement about the location of accommodation.
The range of attractions lets you choose what interests you without having to combine every stop into a fixed itinerary.
More places to consider when planning your trip: Floh-Seligenthal, Kleinschmalkalden, Wernshausen, Altersbach, Steinbach-Hallenberg, KĂĽhndorf, Trusetal, Viernau.
For the wider travel overview: Schmalkalden-Meiningen.
